Carbonated-beverage-dispensing apparatus



July 5,1927.

W. E. DOUGHTY CARBONATED BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VE N TOR. M11 M42 Pam/7y ATTORNEY;

July 5 1927.

w. E. DOU GHTY CARBONATED BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS E' ShBGtS Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1 1926 I II INVENTOR. umwl'. Darla/7') Milk/14M M A TTORNEY,

Patented. July 5, 1927.

UNETED STATEQQL VIILLIAIVI E. DOUGI-ITY, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNQR TO JAMES WEB/NOR COM- IPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CQREORATION OF MICHIGAN.

OARBOHATED-BEVEBAGE-DISLPEN $151113 AEPAPATUEL Application filed November 12, 1926. Serial No. 148,015.

This invention relates to carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus and more particularly to improvements in such apparatus involving a display chamber containing a quantity of beverage through which a portion of the gas liberated from the beverage being dispensed is introduced to agitate the same.

Many of the novel features of the present invention find particular utility and may be employed with great advantage to self contained or unit types of carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus or in other words to portable apparatus adapted to be placed upon a soda fountain, counter or the like.

In such types of apparatus considerable advertising value is attached to decorative or spectacular display apparatus which will attract the attention of the public to the commodity being dispensed. By means of the present invention 1 am able to provide an attractive display operating automatically each time beverage is dispensed without necessitating the employment of any outside or additional mechanism or power.

In carrying into execution the present invention I provide a transparent chamber into which a quantity of beverage is introduced and sealed. The dispensing apparatus contemplates the use of a settling chamber into which a high pressure beverage is introduced and in which a portion of the gas liberated from such high pressure beverage, is trapped. This liberated gas is conducted from the top of the settling chamber and permitted to escape up through the beverage trapped in the display chamber with the result that the beverage in the display chamber is agitated and caused to bubble and foam thus attracting attention thereto and producing an attractive display. Inasmuch as the apparatus contemplates the employ ment of cooling medium agitating means the gas after passing through the beverage in the display chamber is trapped in the upper end thereof and conducted to an ejector tube where it is'ejected into the cooling medium for agitating the same. Thus this liberated gas performs two functions and the enei y or power necessary to the accomplishment of the two objects just mentioned is obtainable from within the dispensing apparatus unit and involves a source of power or energy otherwise valueless.

The several objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention, will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation of a dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the control valves.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a detail of construction, and

Figure 4t is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 1% in F i gure 2.

Referring now particularly to the drawings wherein lik reference characters indicate like parts it will be noted that there is illustrated a tank or container 10 the walls of which are preferably provided with insulating material, this tank being adapted to contain cooling medium up to, for instance, the level A, this cooling medium consisting generally of crushed ice and water. The ice and water is introduced through the top of the tank through an opening closed by cover 11.

The high pressure carbonated beverage is introduced into the tank 10 by means of a pipe 12 which is connected through a valve mechanism indicated by the reference charactor 18 to a series of cooling coils 14:.

The valve mechanism, see particularly Figure 2, may, in order to cheapen and facilitate manufacture and assembly, be in the form of a casting 15 provided with an internally threaded portion 16 at one end thereof for threaded engagement with the end of spigot 17. The casting 15 is further provided with a longitudinally extending bore 18 with which a pair of oppositely disposed transversely arranged passages 19 communicate. These laterally extending ports 19 extend through nipples 20, see particularly Figure 1-, to which nipples the ends of the coil units 14; are connected. The bore 18 is enlarged as indicated at 21. and the inlet pipe 12 for the high pressure beverage is connected to the valve mechanism 18 at this point. The supply of high pressure beverage is controlled by valve member 22 which rccigrocates in the chamber 21 and which seats on valve seat 23 in its closed position. In this position the flow of the high pressure beverage through the pipe 12, through lateral pipe 14 and through cooling coils 14 is prevented. Valve 22 is controlled by means of a rod 24 which extends longitudinally of the valve mechanism to a point within the spigot 17 where it is connected to a valve member 25 which controls the spigot. Both of the valves 25 and 22 are simultai'ieously operated by means of spigot handle 26. The beverage flowing out through spigot 17 enters the valve mechanism through a pipe 27 connected to nipple 28, the port 29 of which communicates with the enlarged portion 30 of the bore 18 arranged at the threaded end 16 of the valve casting.

The pipe or conduit 27 is connected to the lower end of a settling chamber 31 arranged within the tank 10 and delivers low pressure beverage to the spigot. Low pressure beverage is obtained by discharging the high pressure beverage from the cooling coils 14 into the settling chamber, the connection between the coils and settling cl'lamber being indicated by the reference character 32.

Upon the introduction of this high pres sure beverage into the settling chamber acertain quantity of gas is liberated therefrom and this liberated gas accumulates or flows to the top of the settling chamber. As mentioned this useless source of power or energy, which otherwise would be wasted, is, in accordance with the present invention, first introduced into the display chamber to agitate the beverage contained therein and then conducted to an ejector tube where it is ejected into the cooling medium for agitating the same.

The reference character 33 indicates a casting provided with a circrnnferential laterally extending flange 34 adapted to rest upon. the top of the tank. The casting is also formed with. a threaded collar 35 with which the threaded cap 36 of a transparent display chamber 37 is adapted to engage. The display chamber 37 is formed preferably of glass and contains a quantity of beverage 38 which is trapped and sealed therein. The casting 33 is provided with an upwardly extending threaded nipple 39 with which a laterally extending port 40 communicates. A pipe 41 has its lower end threaded to the nipple 39 and constitutes an extension thereof and arranged in. telescopic spaced relation with the pipe 41 is a second pipe or sleeve 42. This sleeve member 42 is closed at its upper end as indicated at 43 but is provided with apertures 44 with which a tube 45 connects. This tube is adapted to extend downwardly through pipe 41 and to threadedly engage the casting 33 at the lower end thereof as indicated at 46. An ejector tube 47 communicates with the tube 45 and extends downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of tank 10 where it is provided with a horizontally extending portion 48 formed with a plurality of apertures through which the gas is permitted to escape. A short tube 49 connects the upper end of settling chamber 31 to port 40.

l/Vith the structure just described the gas liberated in the settling chamber and accumulated in the top thereof will flow through tube 49 and port 40 up through nipple 39 and pipe 41 escaping through the upper open end of this pipe. Then by reason of the closed end 43 of sleeve 42 the gas will be constrained to pass downwardly in the space between pipe 41 and sleeve 42 where it will escape through the lower open end of sleeve 42 and thus pass upwardly through the beverage 38 contained in the display chamber 37. After passing through the beverage 38 this gas accumulates in the top of the display chamber and flows into tube 45 through aperture 44. Inasmuch as this tube 45 is connected to ejector pipe 47 the gas will flow through the ejector pipe and pass out through the apertures formed in the horizontal portion 48 where it will rise through the cooling medium agitating the same and thus increasing its cooling efficiency with respect to the coils 14-.

The casting 33 is provided with an opening closed by a plug 50. The beverage 38 will be introduced into display chamber 37 through an opening closed by a cap 51. A display sign 52 may be provided supported upon a rod 53 mounted in the closed end 43 of tube 42. By keeping the level of the beverage 38 below the upper end of pipe 41 a seal is provided which prevents the beverage 38 from flowing through tube 49 into the settling chamber. The reference character 54 indicates an overflow pipe for the cooling medium and 55 a guard therefor.

The operation of the apparatus as well as its utility and con'nnercial advantages will no doubt be readily apparent from the foregoing description. The apparatus is capabio of use as a self contained unit and the gas liberated from the high pressure beverage and trapped in the settling chamber is utilized to advantage to perfornrthe dual function of first agitating the beverage in the display chamber and then agitating the cooling medium to increase its cooling citiciency. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that the particular design and arrangement of the cooling coils, settling chamber and control valves for the high and low pressure beverage in no wise affect that portion of the invention involving the display chamber and the dual use of the liberated gas. It will be apparent therefore, that this portion of the present invention may not only be employed in connection with the type of dispensing apparatus here in illustrated but may be used equally as well in connection with the types of dispensing apparatus illustrated and described in my copending applications, Serial Nos. 85344:,85345, 85,346 and 85,347 all. filed February 1, 1926. As a consequence of this, reservation. is made to make such changes, modifications or rearrangements of the apparatus herein described as may be tound necessary or expedient without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a display chamber, means for trapping a display; medium in said chamber a source of gas liberated from the beverage and means for introducing said gas into said display chamber to agitate said display medium.

2. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a display chamber containing a liquid, means for collecting gas liberated from the beverage and means for introducing this gas into the liquid in said display chamber.

3. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a display chamber, a source of gas liberated from the beverage, means for introducing said gas into said display chamber, an agitating device and means for conducting said gas from said chamber to said agitating device.

4C. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a settling chamber arranged in a cooling medium tank, a display chamber containing a display liquid, an eject-or pipe extending into the cooling medium in said tank and means for introducing the gas liberated in said settling chamber into said display chamber and means for conducting the gas from said chamber to said ejector pipe.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a settling chamber adapted to receive high pressure beverage to liberate a portion of the gas therefrom, a transparent display chamber adapted to receive an inert sub stance, means for introducing said gas into the lower end of said display chamber to impart motion to said substance and means for conducting said gas from said display chamber.

6. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a tank for a cooling medium, a settling chamber in said tank adapted to receive high pressure beverage to liberate some of the gas therefrom, a display chamber, means tor conducting the gas from said settling chamber to the lower end of said display chamber, an ejector tube for agitating the cooling medium in said tank and means for conducting the gas from said display chamber to said ejector tube.

7. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a settling chamber into which high pressure beverage is introduced to free the same of some of its gas, a display chamber containing a display liquid, means for introducing said gas into said display liquid to agitate the same, an ejector tube and means for conducting the gas collected in the top or said display chamber to said ejector tube.

8. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a display chamber containing a display liquid, :1- settling chamber in which gas liberated from the beverage accumulates and means for connecting said settling chamber to said display chamber including, a pipe connected to said settling chamber and extending upwardly through said display liquid beyond the level thereof, and a sleeve-like member provided with a closed upper end arranged in telescopic spaced relation with said pipe with the lower open end thereof spaced from the bottom of said display tank.

9. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, a display chamber containing a display liquid, a settling chamber in which gas liberated from the beverage accumulates and means for connecting said settling chamber to said display chamber including, a pipe connected to said settling chamber and extending upwardly through said display liquid beyond the level thereof and a sleevelike member provided with. a closed upper end arranged in telescopic spaced relation with said pipe with the lower open end thereof spaced from the bottom of said. display tank, an. agitator and a tube opening into the upper end of said display chamber and extending downwardly through said pipe connected to said agitator for conducting thereto the gas from said display chamber.

10. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, the combination of means for containing a display medium, means for con taining a cooling medium, a source of gas liberated from the beverage, and means for utilizing the said gas for agitating the display medium and the cooling medium respcctively.

11. In a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus, the combination with a normally inert display substance, of a source of gas liberated from the beverage and means for utilizing the said gas to agitate the said display substance.

11 testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

WILLIAM E. DOUGI-ITY. 

